Going vegan and maintaining protein intake.

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  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Trader Joe's has a great high protein tofu. It's very firm and takes on the taste of whatever put on it or in it. I also love Gardein "chicken." Stuff is so freakin yummy! Also like beyond "chicken" strips. All these are soy products. There's also a yummy "cheese" made of almonds from Lisanatti foods.

    Good luck!!!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    I'm sure your Dr. Has told you this, but some people are genetically predisposed to have high cholesterol, etc. Diet and exercise don't always change the numbers that much. Medication MAY be the answer.

    And some people can just stick two middle fingers up at "high cholesterol" and live totally healthy lives free of heart disease.

    If you're exercising, eating "right", maintaining a healthy weight and don't have any family history of early death from heart disease or stroke, you may be in a group who just genetically has high cholesterol. No scientific evidence says there is a 100% correlation with high cholesterol and disease.

    Again, read the "ifs" in what I posted.
    The Framingham study gives us a pretty good idea of the relationship between cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
    http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=363237

    http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=692673

    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/79/1/8.short

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19081406

    CONCLUSIONS:

    In a large cohort of patients hospitalized with CAD, almost half have admission LDL levels <100 mg/dL. More than half the patients have admission HDL levels <40 mg/dL, whereas <10% have HDL > or =60 mg/dL. These findings may provide further support for recent guideline revisions with even lower LDL goals and for developing effective treatments to raise HDL.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    Going vegan will likely make your cholesterol worse.
    Source?
    I personally don't believe that to be true statement across the board. Refined grains, sugar, refined vegetable oils, which are classified as vegan can and do when they represent a large percentage of a diet have predictable influence on cholesterol levels.........cholesterol levels drop but not in a good way. HDL is drastically reduced, along with LDL, triglycerides are also increased quite a bit and TG levels above 70 will need to be investigated as to which LDL particle type is subsequently predominant. The small dense LDL particles with increased TG levels and with low HDL is an almost perfect storm indicator of inflammation and artery damage. Keep in mind that not all vegans eat these foods and don't live a sedentary lifestyle, so I wouldn't default that a vegan diet will increase a persons CAD changes per se.

    EDIT: spelling
  • twowheeltam
    twowheeltam Posts: 13 Member
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    To clear up a few things...no, my doctor's name is not Dr. Oz. This is not some fad that I came across on any web site and this isn't something I'm doing for animal rights reasons. This is, however, a result of having a Dr. that I like and trust. One who isn't a pill pusher - and yes, I have a real problem with those that are. Of course I could take a cholesterol lowering medication, but I've seen the affects on older family members from taking those types of medications and I don't think we fully know what all of this will do to us as we get older. So yes, if he suggests removing animal fats from my diet for 6 months to see if that makes a difference, I'm willing to try it. Yes, I'm frustrated because I thought I'd been doing everything the way I was supposed to do it and things went the other direction. I'm losing weight and still have more to lose but I'm not morbidly obese. I was simply looking to those who have chosen or been placed in the same position how they get their protein and I didn't ask for judgment from those that don't agree with this idea.

    And thank you to the person who suggested getting a cardiologist. I do have a good one but for other reasons. He's on board with this idea as anything that will make your heart healthier is a good thing.

    And thank you to those that have posted the food ideas and links and recipes. I will be trying all of it, I'm sure.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I'm going to disagree with going vegan making your cholesterol worse, but I am going to suggest a second opinion. I have no science behind this, my personal experience doesn't count for much, but based on your OP, I'm wondering if you'll be happy on a vegan diet.

    If you think you can do this for six months and not be unhappy, then I don't see any harm in going along with what you and your doctor agreed on.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    To clear up a few things...no, my doctor's name is not Dr. Oz. This is not some fad that I came across on any web site and this isn't something I'm doing for animal rights reasons. This is, however, a result of having a Dr. that I like and trust. One who isn't a pill pusher - and yes, I have a real problem with those that are. Of course I could take a cholesterol lowering medication, but I've seen the affects on older family members from taking those types of medications and I don't think we fully know what all of this will do to us as we get older. So yes, if he suggests removing animal fats from my diet for 6 months to see if that makes a difference, I'm willing to try it. Yes, I'm frustrated because I thought I'd been doing everything the way I was supposed to do it and things went the other direction. I'm losing weight and still have more to lose but I'm not morbidly obese. I was simply looking to those who have chosen or been placed in the same position how they get their protein and I didn't ask for judgment from those that don't agree with this idea.

    And thank you to the person who suggested getting a cardiologist. I do have a good one but for other reasons. He's on board with this idea as anything that will make your heart healthier is a good thing.

    And thank you to those that have posted the food ideas and links and recipes. I will be trying all of it, I'm sure.
    I just have to echo the advice to remove animal fats..........this will drop your HDL quite a bit and increase your triglycerides which is not a good thing at all, and I suggest you do see a cardiologist as well. The problem with that advice is that your cholesterol will probably go lower and your Dr will continue to give out that advice going forward, which is not sound advice regarding cholesterol.......it far more complicated than that and why it's imperative you speak to someone that specializes. imo
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
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    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    As a vegan, I can tell you that my HDL and triglycerides are great. My personal experience doesn't mean much, but I really disagree that you going vegan "will" do anything negative to your cholesterol. All I can say is that it might, and it might help. I'd listen to your doctor, again, as long as you won't be too unhappy to stick to it.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
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    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
    Options
    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
    No. Look for yourself simply because most of your advice is from the hip and your really don't know a lot about this subject at all based on previous posts, and your the ones that saying that coconut oil will drop cholesterol levels so why not post a few studies that show that.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Your physician told you to go vegan?

    This is exactly my response.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
    No. Look for yourself simply because most of your advice is from the hip and your really don't know a lot about this subject at all based on previous posts, and your the ones that saying that coconut oil will drop cholesterol levels so why not post a few studies that show that.

    it raises HDL which is the good stuff. and i'm sorry, but if i need studies when i make assertions I believe to be true, then so does everyone else. otherwise I'll just refuse from now on - which would make me immensely happy.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    Your physician told you to go vegan?

    This is exactly my response.
    Yeah, that does show a bias that may not have much to do with science.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
    No. Look for yourself simply because most of your advice is from the hip and your really don't know a lot about this subject at all based on previous posts, and your the ones that saying that coconut oil will drop cholesterol levels so why not post a few studies that show that.

    it raises HDL which is the good stuff. and i'm sorry, but if i need studies when i make assertions I believe to be true, then so does everyone else. otherwise I'll just refuse from now on - which would make me immensely happy.

    Oh please. You can't post a study to back up your opinions to save your life.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    Your physician told you to go vegan?

    This is exactly my response.
    Yeah, that does show a bias that may not have much to do with science.

    sounds to me like he's a doctor who explores options other than drugs first - which to me - makes for a very GOOD doctor.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
    No. Look for yourself simply because most of your advice is from the hip and your really don't know a lot about this subject at all based on previous posts, and your the ones that saying that coconut oil will drop cholesterol levels so why not post a few studies that show that.

    it raises HDL which is the good stuff. and i'm sorry, but if i need studies when i make assertions I believe to be true, then so does everyone else. otherwise I'll just refuse from now on - which would make me immensely happy.

    Oh please. You can't post a study to back up your opinions to save your life.

    who are you again? your selective memory is a wonderful thing. either that or you're new-ish. I don't remember you from years ago.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
    Options
    Reality time:

    If you don't WANT to go vegan, you won't stick to it - no matter how much anyone tells you you "need" it. If you truly WANT to try veganism, go for it. If you don't, then don't. Very simple.

    Honestly, add coconut oil, chia seeds, and any other medium chain fatty acid containing foods to your diet and watch your cholesterol drop.
    Coconut oil increases cholesterol HDL and increases the amount of cholesterol that is contained in the LDL lipoproteins when it's used to replace carbs or other unsaturated fats. So basically cho levels go up.

    study please.
    No. Look for yourself simply because most of your advice is from the hip and your really don't know a lot about this subject at all based on previous posts, and your the ones that saying that coconut oil will drop cholesterol levels so why not post a few studies that show that.

    it raises HDL which is the good stuff. and i'm sorry, but if i need studies when i make assertions I believe to be true, then so does everyone else. otherwise I'll just refuse from now on - which would make me immensely happy.
    I guess it was when your post started with "reality time" that's when I felt compelled once again to correct some misinformation. Maybe research a subject from all angles before making belief statements, Which will also reduce confusion and my post count.:smile:

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